New Engine Manufacturer in SAUBER's Future?

The Petronas Engine
By Jamie Makin
January 21 2005

"Sooner or later we'll have to get together with a manufacturer," Peter Sauber admitted to Autosport magazine this week. In recent years the small Swiss privateer team has found it to be increasingly difficult to go up against the well funded manufacturer-backed teams.

"They have the money and they spend it. It's our goal [to improve] but it's very difficult," he added. Sauber has invested heavily in his team's facilities over recent years and have just completed the job with the new wind tunnel and supercomputer 'Albert'. The only thing missing from the equation is an exclusive engine partner. The Petronas-badged Ferrari powerplants have proven solid and reliable but they don't afford Sauber the means to compete with the top teams.

Although Sauber has hesitated to partner with a new manufacturer after his letdowns by Mercedes and Ford in the mid-90's, it is clear he has been keeping his options open. "For many years I've spoken with different manufacturers - those already in F1 and outside," Sauber revealed. The most likely candidate would be the VW/Audi group. Sauber has worked with Audi in recent years, allowing them use of Hinwil's 7-post rig for suspension development on their A4 DTM entry and the ultra-successful Le Mans prototype R8. VW has expressed some interest in F1 in the past few years but has not decided to enter just yet.

The current contract with Ferrari comes to an end after this season and Sauber has already hinted that their longstanding partnership will come to an end at that time. Development of next year's C25 must begin this spring and knowing what engine it will use is fundamental to its design. Therefore we expect Peter Sauber to be entering some serious negotiations for an engine supplier in the coming months. Stay tuned . . .

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